Pickpocketproof button



Dec. 2, 1930. LEROUX 1,783,846

PICKPOCKETPROOF BUTTON Filed Aug. 20, 1930 viz/9 LEROUX WITNESS. ATTORNEY INVENTOR i sersprovided with a buttonable poclret in Patented Dec. 2, 1930 a 42A Lnnoux, on new YORK, a. ,Y.

I rrckrocknrrrnoon nirr'ron Application filed lAugust 20,

10 provisions for engagingthe hole of a -p'ocket' flap and automatically turning it to a position at substantially right angles to the direction or plane of the buttonhole of the pocket. I

-Another objectiofimy invention-isto proi 15 videinconnectionwith such device means for sounding an alarm whenlthe buttonhole engagingmeans are operated." 5 a V 7 Another object of this invention is to'provide means wherebyrthe button engaging de 20viceisiautomaticallyv caused toassume a position at right angles'to the plane of the pocket'buttonhole. 7 i Other objects and'advantages offth'e invention will be hereinafter specifically pointed out, or will become apparent, as the specification proceeds. i With the above indicated objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel constructions and combinations and arrangement of part-s, clearly described in the following'specification and fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which lattershowembodiments of the invention as at present preferred. r

In said.drawings: I r Fig. 1 represents a portion of mens trouwhich my device is secured. ,2 v

Fig; 2 is an-enlarg ed cross sectional View; taken on line 2-2 of Fig.1 and illustrating my device in greater detail. T y i Fig. 3 is a plane view partially in crosssection of my device as'seen attached to the pocket lining; and a V Fig. 4s a perspective detail view of the knocker arrangement of my device. 7 Referring more specifically to the figures, numeral 10 denotes a portionof men?sjtrou-' sers provided'with a pocket forming apocket flap 11 associatedat12 with the garment.

are smooth, while other'portions of therpepin 18in which position, indicated inbrokerr Ynecessarythathandle 22'is brought into .hori- 1930i Serial retracts. 1

Pocket flap: llis preferably provided with abuttonhole 13 adapted to be engaged by i i the operating memberof my device. The

alarm is securedto'the lining 14 of the pocket and is attached thereto'by sewing. I The device itselfcon'sists of a base or attaching member 15 provided with a plurality of attaching holes 16,by means of which itis sewed'on. to lining 14 0f the pocket. Extending upwards from basemember 15 there will '60 be seen separator pins 17 and lSwhich support a bell 19, provided at itsinner periphery v with extensions 20, grouped within sectors so that. portions of the inner bell periphery riphery are roughened by. these extensions, as clearly seen from "Fig. P r v 5 -Within the center of the bell there isjour- 'naleda pin or shaft 21' extending partially into the interior of the bell and partially projecting outwards thereof, which outer portion islprovided with a: handle 22 while I the inner portionis-enlarged at 2 3 and forms a supportfora flexible knocker member 24: .provided 'with balls at its end indicated at 25. 1 I

' Secured :to' pin 17 and wound abouten- .largedportion '23 ofshaft 21 and secured thereto with its other end there will be seen ajcoil spring 26', which is-so arranged'vas to normally cause knocker 2a to assume po- :30 sition irra plane at substantially right angles to ,that of the .b'uttonhole 113'. Handle-22 being disposed in thegsamer direction, that is parallel to 'lmocker', 24L, will assume a 'position "in the same plane as the: latter. Pin, 1-7110t"8 only serves for attachingmeans ofspring 26 but also; actsas apstop Lf0rknocker24.

*dVhen: handle 22'is turned in clockwise direction asindicated-by arrow I, knocker 24: will, ,be1stoppedin'itsxmotion by supporting 1 lines in-Fig; 3, thehandle member 22 will 11 may beopened.

v In ,order to have handle 22: engagebutton hole 13, therebytclosing pocketlflap 11, it is cause the wearer of the garment to realize that his pocket is being picked.

Needless to say that bell 19 is preferably spaced from base member so asto produce an audible sound. However, ordinarily the cloth from which the garment is made'will somewhat deaden the audible sound and the vibrations )roduced bv the knocker )assiiw u C over extensions 20 usually suffice to cause the desired alarm for which my device is designed. 7

The hereinbefore described, onstruction admits of considerable modification without departing from the invention; therefore, it is the wish not to be limited to the precise arrangements shown and described, which are as aforesaid, by way of illustration merely. In other words the scope of protection contemplated is to be taken solely from the appended claims, interpreted as broadly as is consistent with the prior art.

lVhat is claimed as new is: a

l. The combination with a hole-equipped pocket of a garment, of a device for the purpose described, comprising a base or attaching member provided with means for securing it to the interior of a pocket, supporting pins extending from said member, a bell or sound member secured to said pins and distanced from said base member, a resilient bell actuating member in operative engagement with said bell and comprising a resilient bar or knocker operative within the bell and a pocket hole engaging handle extending be yond the bell, a spring connecting said actu ating member with one of said pins and adapted to normally cause the positioning of said actuating member into one plane, while the latter may-be swung, by means of said handle, into another plane when desired, said pins serving as limiting devices for the resilient bar or knocker. v J

2. The combination with a hole-equipped pocket of a garment, of a device as set forth in claim 1, said bell provided at its inner pe riphery with a plurality of projections, said bar or lrnocker provided with balls adapted to engage said projections when the bar is operated either by its handle or by said spring, thereby causing the sounding or vibration of the bell.

3. A pickpocket proof button adapted to be associated with the interior of a garment pocket provided with a buttonholeequipped flap, comprising a base provided with means ient member associated with the inner extension ofsaid shaft, a handle associated with the outer extension of said bell shaft and adapted to engage the button hole of the pocket flap, a coil spring secured to one of the bell supporting pins at one end and to said shaft with its other end and adapted to cause said shaft to normally assume a position at which said knoclrer will stay in a plane at substantially right angles to the plane of the buttonhole, said handle, being parallel with said resilient member, assuming a similar position, said pins adapted to limit the movements of said resilient member within the bell, said handle, adapted to facilitate the turning of said shaft, thereby actuating said resilient member, and further adapted to be thrust through and engage the buttonhole when turned into the plane of the latter and to assume its normal, right angular position in respect to the plane of the hole, when released, said resilient member adapted to pass with its ball ends over the internal projections of the bell while said handle is turning, thereby causing the bell to emit an alarm sound.

In testimony whereof .I hereby afiix my signature.

AZA LEROUX. 

